Shirt structures



July 15, 1958 w. D. LLOYD SHIRT STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1955 July 15, 1958 w. D. LLOYD SHIRT STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1955 United States Patent SHIRT STRUCTURES Warren D. Lloyd, New York, Y. Application May 10, 1955, Serial No. 507,261 1 Claim. (Cl. '2-116 The present inventionrelate's'to garments of the shirt type and, more particularly, to that type conventionally known as mens shirts" although some'of such type are designed for use or are without original intent 'worn by girls.

A general object of the present invention is to provide in such shirts certain unique features relating to the neck closures and/or turned-down collars thereof which improve the comfort of the wearer when they are worn in a variety of possible manners, which at all times assures neatness and attractive appearance and when neckties are worn therewith a neat symmetrical location and arrangement of the neckties with respect to the shirt collars is assured.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide in such shirts turned-down dollars of unique design some of which have the points shaped 'to provide lapping of the points behind a necktie knot to assure proper centering of the latterand with the latter effectively concealing the flapping, in some forms the tips of the points being extendable laterally. and concealable by vest structure or jacket lapels...

Another object of therpresent invention is to provide on the front band and the cooperating'vertical edge therebehind, which constitute the lapping closure of the front of such a shirt, supplemental fastening means provided in addition to the usual fastening and closing means, such as buttons and complemental button holes conventionally spaced vertically about three and onehalf inches apart, such supplemental fastening means being located a relatively short distance below the neck band fastener or button, the supplemental fastening means being adapted at least to serve at certain times as the top closing means and assuring neat and attractive appearance of the shirt when worn with the neck band open and particularly if a necktie is worn and loosened for comfort with opening of the neck band.

A further object of the present invention is tolprovide the front'of such a shirt with one or more pairsof laterally-spaced fastening means, such as buttons, to permit anchoring thereto the points of the turned-down collar in a variety of attractive manners.

A still further object of the present invention is to' provide structural embodiments of such shirts which are readily and economically manufactured and permit efficient use and manipulation thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. 1

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the shirt of the present invention in folded condition;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view, with parts omitted, of a person wearing the embodiment'of the shirt illustrated in Fig. 1, showing in association therewith a tied necktie and a conventional jacket worn in the usual manners;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the embodiment Fig. 4 is a front elevational view similar to Fig. 3, with parts broken away and a worn necktie indicated in dotted lines, illustrating still another way of manipulating the collar of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 incl.;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of the shirt illustrated in'Figs. 1 to 4 incl., indicating still further manipulation of the collar thereof as permitted by added anchoring means;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of a modified form of the shirt of the invention showing certain manipulation of the collar and anchorage of the points thereof, with a worn necktie loosened; and

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view similar to Fig. 3 of still another embodiment of'the shirt of the invention (but with dotted line portions of a jacket omitted).

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals identify similar parts throughout, it will be seen from Figs. 1 to 5 incl. thereof that an embodiment of the shirt of the present invention may include the following structure. Shirt lllwillhave the usual body structure, including a front 11 having medially lappable vertical edges '12 and 13 with the former carrying a series of conventional fastening means, such as vertically-spaced buttons 14, 14, and with the other edge 13 having the usual front band 15 provided with a'seri-es of comple-- mental button holes 16, 16 in -.which the buttons are to be anchored or buttoned. The body structure also includes a neck band 17 of conventional type having opposed lappable front ends 18 and 19, carrying respectively suitable fastening means, such as a conventional button 20 and a complemental button hole 21 to hold the neck band closed when desired. The front 11 of the shirt 10* may also be of the type wherein a pair of breast pockets. 22, 22 are provided, each having a closure which may consist of a button 23 receivable in a button hole 24 in the top end zone 25 of the pocket, and for a dual purpose to be indicated hereinafter.

In accordance with the present invention, turned-down collar 26 of the. shirt 10 preferably will be of the soft type and has at the front laterally-spaced points 27, 27, those points being elongated and shaped as shown to extend toward each other for overlap, such as at 28, behind or beneath a necktie when worn therewith, as is indicated in Fig. 2. The points 27, 27 of the turneddown soft collar 26 are, in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5 incl, appreciably extended laterally beyond the overlap at 28 to provide tips 29, 29' which, as shown, extend laterally in opposite directions, each of the points and its tip being curved downwardly toward the far side. Each of the collar point tips 29 is provided with a suitable button hole 30. I

When the shirt'of Fig. lis worn in a conventional manner, such as thatindicated in Fig. 2, with the neck band and collar 26 buttoned up about a persons neck (illustrated at 31), the points 27, 27 of "the'collar cross at 28'behind the conventional necktie 32 worn therewith with' those crossing points concealed by the necktie. Each collar point tip 29 extends across to the far side and the Patented July 15, 1958 button hole 30 therein receives one of a pair of laterallyspaced buttons 33, 33 which together with the button holes 30, 30 in the tips serve as laterally-spaced anchoring means. Thus, the overlapped collar points 27, 27 are securely held in such overlapped positions with opposed edges 34, 34 of the collar points near the neck band being held snugly to opposite sides of the knot 35 of the necktie 32 to assure maintenance of proper centering of the latter. v

i It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the laterally-extended collar tips 29, 29 and their anchoring means, consisting of the button holes 30, 30 and buttons 33, 33, are concealed by a portion of the necktie 32 and lapels 36, 36 of the conventional jacket 37 being worn. As a result, the collar points are prevented from working out past the jacket lapels and are held smooth, substantially free of wrinkles and displacement distortions so commonly observable of the wearing of shirts of this type equipped with conventional collars. All too frequently, ones necktie, when worn with a conventional shirt, will be seen to hang from one side or the other, quite noticeably off center, and such undesirable'disarrangernent is prevented by the collar 26 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to incl., as will be apparent from Fig. 2.

The unique collar of the Figs. 1 to 5 incl. embodiment and the means provided for anchorage of the tips thereof also permits different manipulations of the collar structure. This may be particularly desirable when the wearer intends to wear a necktie, suchas that indicated at 32, and a jacket, such as that indicated at 37. For example, as proposed in Fig. 3, the collar points 27, 27 may not be overlapped but each may have its tip 29 lapped or turned back upon itself to be anchored to button 33 on the same side. In such a case, the necktie together with the lapels 36, 36 of the jacket 37 will serve effectively to conceal the lapped-back anchored tips 29, 29 and their anchoring means, such as buttons 33, 33. Since the collar tips 29, 29 are securely held in place by the buttons 33, 33, any tendency for the collar points to work out past and beyond the jacket lapels is prevented and thus the neat appearance of the collar is maintained, both by the lapels and the overlying necktie.

Let it be assumed that the wearer of the embodiment of the shirt illustrated Figs. 1, 2 and 3 desires to open the neck band for comfort and in attaining such, loosen the necktie. When this is done with conventional shirts an unsightly appearance usually results, with the shirt gapping open down to the first front button below the neck band button which is usually spaced about three and one-half inches therebelow. Such unsightly appearance is usually due in part also to a tendency for the collar points to project out in various unsymmetrical fashions and to buckle and wrinkle. As indicated in Fig. 4, all such undesirable unsightliness may be avoided by providing the front of the shirt with supplemental fastening means, such as a supplemental button 38 and a complemental supplemental button hole 39 a relatively short distance.

below the fastening means or the button 26 and the button hole 21 of the neck band 17. Preferably, the supplemental button 38 and the supplemental button hole 39 are mounted a distance of the order of one-half to two inches below such neck band button 20, preferably about one and one-half inches. Thus with this supplemental button 38 buttoned and with the neck band button 20 unbuttoned, this supplemental fastening means serves as the top fastening means for the front of the shirt, thereby limiting the gapping of the neck band and collar.

Also, the shirt front 11 preferably is provided with a second pair of laterally-spaced anchoring means which may be in the form of a second pair of buttons 40, 40 arranged below the first pair of laterally-spaced buttons 33, 33 and spaced farther apart. With the supplemental button 38 buttoned up and the neckband'button 20 unfastened, the elongated tips 29, 29 of the collar points 27, 27 may then be lapped back upon themselves and rev spectively buttoned to the second pair of buttons 40, 40,

as indicated in Fig. 4, so as to hold the collar points smooth and trim when the neck band 17 is unbuttoned. In order to permit loosening of the collar in that fashion by unbuttoning the neck band 17, the wearer, of course, loosens his necktie, such as by slipping down the knot 35 thereof, but in doing so the knot will usually remain high enough effectively to conceal supplemental button 38 if that is of any importance to the wearer. Such permitted manipulation of the shirt of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5 incl. allows the wearer to wear the shirt and his necktie in a careless or comfort-assuring manner, such as while attending a sporting event, and thereafter to obtain again the neat formal appearance of a buttonedup neck band and tied necktie. The reconversion, of course, is a simple matter involving unfastening of the tips 29, 29 from the lower pair of buttons 40, 40 and resecuring them to, the upper pair of buttons 33, 33 in either ofthe manners proposed in Figs. 2 and 3, and with theneck band rebuttoned and the necktie retightened to lift its 'knot 35 to the snug initial position illustrated in Fig. 2.

-As previously indicated, the embodiment of the shirt illustratedv in Figs. 1 to 5 incl. preferably is provided with a pair-of breast'po'ckets 2'2, 22 of a type which mounts upon the. shirt frontv a pair of laterally-spaced buttons 23,

23 serving as pocket closures. Such laterally-spaced buttons 23., 2'3: constitute a third pair of laterally-spaced buttons which additionally may serve as anchoring means for the'extended tips 29, 29 of the collar points 27, 27, as indicated in Fig. 5. This third pair of laterally-spaced buttons 23, 23zpermit' the wearer to open the neck of his shirt front still more than to the degree proposed in Fig. 4; such as by unfastening both the neck band button 20 and the supplemental front band button 38, while providing anchoring means for the collar tips 29, 29. Of course, the provision of the third pair of laterally-spaced buttons 23,23 does not require the presence of the pockets 22, 22 since such buttons will provide the desired anchorage for the collar tips 29, 29 whether or not they additionally serve aspocket closures.

'As proposed in Fig. 6, the turned-down soft collar of a-shirt of the present invention may be modified so as to have a close likeness to the conventional turned-down soft collar, as will be apparent from the illustration of collar 126 onthe shirt 100. For example, shirt may be provided with supplemental button 38 to limit the opening of the neck band 17 and the front of the shirt may be provided with first and second pairs of laterally-spaced buttons 133, 133 and 140, 140. The collar points 127, 127 may have relatively short tips 129, 1.29 whichmay be either of the rounded or dart shapes and with each tip provided with a button hole 13 0 into which one of the buttons may be buttoned securelyltoanchorthe tips after the neck band has been opened. The supplemental pair of buttons 133, 133 will serve as" collar tip' anchorages when the neck band 17 is closed bybutton 20.

The advantages attained by the collar tip manipulation proposed in Fig. 2 may be secured in a modified form of the shirt of the present invention, as illustrated in Fig- 7. The collar 226 of the shirt 200 illustrated in Fig. 7 has modified points 227, 227, the tips 229, 229 of which are shorter so as to overlap near the ends thereof. In the Fig. 7 embodiment one tip 229 may be provided with an anchoring button 41 and the other tip will then be provided with a complemental button hole 42 sothat the tips may be fastened together in overlappedfashiomas illustrated, and, of course, behind the necktie for concealment. Also, both of the collar tips 229, 229 may be provided with similar button holes 42 .andthe button 41 may be supplemental button 38 which of course, obtains many of the same advantages secured by the Fig. 2 manipulation of the structure of the Figs. 1 to 5 embodiment.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are etficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

As an article of wearing apparel a shirt comprising, in combination; a body structure including an openable shirt front having opposed vertical edges detachably securable together; neck-encircling means carried by said body structure provided with opposed front edge portions adapted to be brought together for closing said neckencircling means; a turned-down soft collar having a top lateral edge carried by and connected to said neckencircling means and a lower edge, said turned-down collar having opposed end edges extending from the neckencircling means downwardly toward overlapping relation, the upper portions of said end edges being cut back so as to space them when the shirt front and neckencircling means are closed to accommodate between said cut back edge portions knot means of a necktie; each of the lower portions of the opposed end edges adjacent the lower collar edge having an elongated oblique tip with said tips extending obliquely downward and laterally in opposite directions toward the far sides of said shirt front with medial crossing overlap for concealment of the crossing overlap behind the necktie; a pair of laterally-spaced tip anchoring means carried by said shirt front on opposite sides of said opposed shirt front vertical edges for anchorage of said crossed tips, the anchoring means for each tip being on the side of said shirt front vertical edges opposite the side on which said tip extends from the lower end edge portion carrying it; and cooperating anchoring means on said tips for engagement of said shirt front tip anchoring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,757,861 Halperin May 6, 1930 1,887,639 Hertzberg Nov. 15, 1932 2,563,687 Metzger Aug. 7, 1951 2,598,539 leim May 27, 1952 2,688,137 Costa Sept. 7, 1954 2,710,969 Renzi June 21, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 29,896 Australia Feb. 20, 1931 843,721 France Apr. 3, 1939 

